The municipality of İzmit has removed all promotional posters of Grup Yorum ahead of the group’s Feb. 26 concert, saying the posters cause “environmental pollution” in the city.

The group introduced the posters a week before, but they were not allowed to be hung on the city’s walls. Moreover, the municipality said they had to pay 250 Turkish Liras in “environmental pollution” charges. “They said the rented venue, which was the Sabancı Cultural Center, would not be given to us. Later on we decided to organize the concert at the Society Education Center, so then I requested to the municipality to hang the posters,” said Zafer Çetin, the owner of Ironi Organization, the concert’s organizing company.

Noting that after this they received a written statement from the municipality, Çetin said they had not even received an explanation as to why the posters were considered “improper.”

“There are many posters about other events, and no one is saying anything about those posters. They have also charged us with 250 Turkish Liras,” he said.

“We are conducting very focused work in the city and we are trying to get rid of environmental pollution in the city. Posters are a part of this pollution. This decision was not made especially for the Grup Yorum concert,” İzmit Deputy Mayor Ayhan Acar said.